Russia: Su-35 jet dubbed the best jet-age dogfighter ever made

Russia’s Su-35 multirole fighter jet can be touted as the best dogfighter in history, according to military expert Sebastien Roblin.

In his article, published by the US magazine National Interest, military expert Sebastien Roblin gave kudos to the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 (Flanker-E) super-maneuverable multirole fighter jet, which he said may be a “deadly adversary” to the F-15, Eurofighter and Rafale.

Some of the Su-35’s characteristics are even on par with those related to fifth generation US warplanes, according to Roblin, who specifically mentioned the Su-35’s “remarkable maneuverability.”

It makes the Su-35 an “unsurpassed dogfighter,” which Roblin wrote “is at least equal – if not superior – to the very best Western fourth-generation fighters.”

“The Flanker-E can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 at high altitude (equal to the F-22 and faster than the F-35 or F-16) and has excellent acceleration”, according to him.

Citing the “big trouble” that the US F-35 stealth fighter will have if it “gets in a short-range duel with a Flanker-E,” Roblin also pointed to the Su-35’s advanced hardware, including the L175M Khibiny electronic countermeasure system. This is something that he said could “significantly degrade attempts to target and hit” the Su-35.

It is worth noting in this respect that as “the best jet-age dogfighter ever made and a capable missile delivery platform”, as Roblin said, the Su-35 added significantly to Russia’s air campaign against Daesh terrorists in Syria, which took place between September 2015 and April 2016. (Russian Aviation/Business World Magazine)